A Sanctuary Halloween
by KatrinaHighKick
Summary: Omega-verse. Halloween is around the corner, and Harbinger wants to make a surprise for Raki.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **All characters belong to Masami Kurumada and Toei Animation.

**Timeline:** Between seasons 1 and 2 of Saint Seiya Omega.

**Author's Note:** By far, the fastest story I've ever written. Blame this on me watching Omega this afternoon while preparing for Halloween.

* * *

**A Sanctuary Halloween**

**Chapter 1: October 24**

In a typical Autumn day at the Sanctuary, Kiki, the Aries Saint, could be found in his temple, polishing his Gold Cloth and inspecting it for any damages. It was a soothing exercise, the repetitive motion of soaking a linen cloth in a mixture of water and Stardust and rubbing it against the individual pieces that composed the Aries Cloth. It was a habit he inherited from his late master Mu, and every time he did it he was transported back to more innocent days. Days when he would impatiently hover around Mu-sama asking what he was doing, or complaining of boredom, asking 'Are you done yet? Are you done yet?'. Every time his master would keep on his ritual, unfazed by Kiki's fidgeting.

Back then, the former apprentice couldn't fathom how anyone would have enough patience for such a tedious activity. Now, he understood its importance and, just like his master, found a soothing comfort in the repetitiveness of the process. With an upturn of his lips, he mused how he even had his own apprentice to complain on the dullness of the task. Though Kiki had to admit, Appendix Raki was far more patient than he used to be. Additionally, if she was done with her chores and found herself idling, she'd often go to the Taurus house to visit Harbinger, something that Kiki found amusing.

Little did he know, that this ordinary day was about to take a turn to the bizarre.

"Yo! Sheep boy!" A booming voice could be heard throughout the building, startling Kiki and nearly making him drop one of his golden gauntlets. He glanced at the entrance of the Aries temple and saw the imposing silhouette of his neighbor from the Taurus house. 'Speaking of the devil...' he sighed.

"What is it, Harbinger? I'm a bit busy." Kiki asked, resuming his task of tending to his Cloth.

"Busy doing what? Polishing your shiny Cloth for the thousandth time? Booooring!" Kiki chuckled. No wonder Raki liked hanging out with Harbinger, deep down he was a kid. "Anyway, put your sparkly water aside and come with me. I got a plan."

"You have a plan? I guess the apocalypse is upon us, finally." The Aries Saint commented with a quirked eyebrow, to which Harbinger rolled his right eye.

"Quit being a smart-ass, Kiki, you suck at it. C'mon, I'll tell you on the way." Harbinger grabbed Kiki's hand and hastily ran to the exit.

"On the way to where...?"

"The Sagittarius house. Now get steppin'! And put your Cloth on! We're visiting Athena later."

* * *

Up in the Sagittarius house, Seiya was busy training archery, oblivious to the fact that something was about to interrupt his routine like a raging bull in a china shop.

Positioning himself in front of the training target, Seiya nocked the golden arrow to the bowstring and drew it back, focusing on the bullseye. He took a deep breath, envisioning the trajectory the arrow would take, then exhaled slowly, his fingers ready to release the string that would send the projectile flying straight to its target.

"HEY SHORTIE!" Harbinger's loud voice startled Seiya and made him shift the angle of his bow in the very last second, causing the Sagittarius arrow to fly upwards and lodge itself in the temple's ceiling.

"Are you talking to me?" He called out to the visitors at the entrance of his temple, annoyed.

"No, I'm talking to the fancy statue next to you, dumbass. Why the hell do you think I came all the way here?" Seiya just rolled his eyes at the Taurus Saint. Glancing at the arrow stuck in the ceiling, he jumped up and grabbed it's shaft, trying to use his weight to pry the arrow.

"What do you want, Harbinger? And why did you have to drag poor Kiki with you?" When the arrow didn't budge, Seiya braced his feet against the ceiling and started tugging at it.

"I need your help to convince Athena to throw a Halloween party." The Taurus Saint replied, watching in amusement as the Sagittarius Saint slowly pried the arrow from the stone surface.

"A what now?" Seiya looked down from the ceiling at Harbinger as if he'd grown a second head. Just then, the arrow came loose and Seiya found himself falling face first on the floor of the Sagittarius temple.

"A Halloween party! You know, costumes, pumpkins, Trick or Treating?" As Harbinger explained, Kiki reached down to help Seiya, but the former Pegasus Saint was already up on his feet and dusting himself up.

"As much as I'd love to see you make a fool of yourself by wearing a costume, Harbinger, I believe we're a bit too old for Trick or Treating." He turned his glance back up to inspect the damage on the ceiling. Damn. He'd have to get that fixed later.

"It ain't for me, doofus. It's for Raki."

"Raki?" Seiya looked at Kiki, puzzled.

"Apparently, Harbinger wants to instill my apprentice with some of the finer traditions of the American culture. Or live vicariously through her, I'm not sure yet." Kiki couldn't help taking a dig at the taller Saint, a small payback for the many other times he was on the receiving end of it.

"Oh quit being such a Debbie Downer! It will be fun, you'll see!"

"Hmph. Who would have thought, that underneath that hard-ass facade, Harbinger has a soft spot for little Raki." Seiya commented with an amused smirk.

"Well, excuse me for trying to make sure the kid enjoys her childhood!" Harbinger replied exasperatedly.

"Alright, alright, you have a point. I remember we used to play with Kiki all the time when he was around Raki's age." Kiki frowned at Seiya's comment. It's not that being reminded of his childhood annoyed him, not at all, but it would only give Harbinger more ammunition to pester him with. "If it's your idea though, why do you need me to talk to Athena?"

"Pfff... C'mon lover-boy, we all know she can't say 'no' to you." He smirked as two pairs of eyes grew wide like saucers at his off-the-cuff remark.

"Harbinger!" Kiki admonished him, alarmed, while Seiya tried hard to hide a blush.

"What? You can't tell me you haven't seen them eye-sexing each other before." Kiki tried to seem appalled, but in reality he knew all too well what the Taurus Saint was alluding too. He'd seen Seiya and Saori making googly eyes at each other since he was Raki's age. 'If only you knew, Harbinger. If you only you knew...'.

"Say another word, Harbinger, and you'll be facing the wrong end of a Sagittarius arrow. Let's go, before I change my mind." Seiya replied, unimpressed, as he made his way to the back entrance of the temple.

* * *

In Athena's residence, Saori Kido was busily poring over reports from the Foundation. With her absence caused by the events of the past year, critical work related to the Foundation accumulated, and she was still catching up. It was then that she felt the familiar Cosmos of Seiya, Kiki and Harbinger approaching. Intrigued as to why those three Saints would show up at the same time, she made her way to Athena's throne room. Soon after, the Aries, Taurus and Sagittarius Saints appeared, standing on one knee in front of her.

"What a pleasant surprise, a visit from three of my Gold Saints. Is something the matter?"

"Everything is fine, Athena-sama. It's just that, well... Harbinger here was wondering if you would allow us to have a Halloween party at the 12 houses." Kiki answered.

"A Halloween party?" Saori replied, clearly confused. Of all things she thought her Saints might be here for, this clearly was not one of them. "Is that true, Harbinger?"

"Yeah. I mean, yes, Athena uh... ma'am. It's for Raki, you see." Saori looked out in the distance as she recalled memories of simpler times, back when she was 7. Mitsumasa had taken her to a trip to the US around the time of Halloween, and she got to dress-up in a costume and went around Trick-or-Treating. It was a treasured memory, and the idea of creating such a moment for a girl that everyone in the Sanctuary knew and loved made it particularly appealing.

"Hmm. An unusual request, but I believe Raki would really enjoy it. Of course, assuming her master approves." She glanced at Kiki, waiting for his consent.

"I have no issue with it, Athena-sama."

"Seiya, what do you think?" She glanced at her most loyal Saint inquisitively.

"There's peace on the planet for now, so I don't see any harm. We could invite Koga and the others to participate as well."

"Invite Koga?" Saori repeated. Even though her mind was already set on allowing Harbinger's idea to be realized, it had even more merits than she at first considered. It would let her spend some down time at the Sanctuary with both Seiya and Koga. 'Like a family', she thought. "Very well, you may go ahead with it. In fact, I just might take part in it as well." The last part surprised Harbinger. Seiya and Kiki were less shocked. "Harbinger, since it's your idea, I'll be relying on you to help plan this."

"Hell yeah! I mean... Thank you, Athena. I won't disappoint." Harbinger replied, clearly thrilled.

"Well then, I suppose you have costumes to procure, so I won't keep you." Saori told them with a hint of amusement. Both the Aries and Taurus Saints bowed and turned around to leave.

"High-five, Kiki!" Harbinger raised his hand as they were walking out, to which Kiki just quirked an eyebrow. "Man, you're gonna leave a bro hanging? Lame." He turned around and noticed that Seiya was still standing in front of Athena. While he couldn't see the face of the Sagittarius Saint, he saw the way the woman was smiling at the man in front of her. He nudged Kiki with his elbow and whispered. "Pssst, Kiki! See what I mean?" He pointed at the pair behind them, wiggling his eyebrows maliciously. Kiki rolled his eyes.

"Let's go. We have a party to plan."

**To be Continued**

* * *

**I hope you enjoyed and got a few laughs out of it. If so, please leave a review! I'll try to post the second chapter on or before October 31 (Halloween).**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing.

**Author's Note:** What's that? I managed to keep a deadline? Run for the hills! Anyway, this chapter is kind of a love letter to Raki and her adorableness. I'll not be held responsible if it hits you in the feels. I've also tried to add some banter between the Gold Saints and some Seiya/Saori goodness in the middle. Enjoy!

**A Sanctuary Halloween**

**Chapter 2**

**October 31 5:15pm**

As evening fell upon the Sanctuary, Indiana Jones and Tron walked the path to the 12 houses. Or rather, two teenage boys dressed as them,

"Any idea what came over the Gold Saints for them to wanna have a Halloween party?" Koga asked curiously.

"Beats me. But hey, it's not every day we get to do something like that. Besides, it gave you reason to come visit!" Souma grinned and tipped his brimmed hat at his friend. Koga smiled back as he recalled the call he'd received days before.

_**October 25 11:24am**_

_"Koga, the Ojou-sama is on the phone. She wants to talk to you." Tatsumi called out. In a flash, Koga ran across the house and grabbed the phone._

_"Saori-san!" He greeted enthusiastically._

_"Koga. How are you?"_

_"Good! I'm doing good... How about you? Are you coming here soon?"_

_"I... I'd love to, Koga. But there are things at the Sanctuary that demand my attention."_

_"Right. Of course." Koga sounded crestfallen, and Saori noticed._

_"Koga... Even though I can't be there, you know you're welcome at the Sanctuary any time, right?"_

_"Yes, I know." Koga frowned. 'It's not the same', he thought. Back in the island, it was just Koga, Saor-san, Tatsumi, and Shaina-san. He could go wherever he wanted and see Saori-san whenever he wanted. At the Sanctuary, not so much. There were rules, and places he wasn't allowed in, and hierarchies, and Saori-san was always too busy. It was akin to attending a school where his mother was the teacher and he had to share her with the class. _

_Then there was Seiya. Koga had trouble figuring out where Seiya fit in this dysfunctional family. Growing up in the island he always noticed the reverence in Saori's voice and the distant look in her eyes whenever Seiya was mentioned. It was as if he was one of those awe-inspiring legends of which wondrous stories filled with impossible feats of bravery and valor are told. Like Hercules. Or Chuck Norris. Then, it turned out that the legend lived. And that look filled with wonder in Saori's face finally had a recipient. And Koga... Koga was at a loss as to what that meant, so he chose to avoid thinking about it altogether. And being away from the Sanctuary helped him to not think about it._

_"Koga? Are you still there?"_

_"Uh? Yeah, yeah I'm here." He replied sheepishly._

_"This is actually why I called. The Gold Saints are organizing a Halloween party, and I was wondering if you'd like to attend?"_

_"Uh... Will you be there?"_

_"Yes. Since the Saints are going through the trouble of putting it together, I might as well join them for a few hours." She paused. "I would really like it if you could be here, Koga. Some of your friends will likely come too."_

_"...I'll be there."_

_"You are, really? I'm really glad to hear that." Saori's sounded more enthusiastic than normal, and that made Koga smile a bit. _

_"So, when is the party?"_

_"October 31. 6 days from now."_

_"Got it."_

_"I look forward to seeing you, Koga. Have a safe journey."_

_"Thanks, Saori-san."_

_As soon as she hung up, Koga ran to his room to start packing for the trip._

**October 31 5:33pm**

Koga and Souma arrived at the entrance of the Aries house. Yuna and Ryuho were already there, waiting for its guardian to show up. Yuna was clad in a black robe with a red and gold emblem embroidered on it, a red and gold scarf and a wizard's wand. She looked like a student right out of Gryffindor. Ryuho wore jeans, a red and white cap and had a Pikachu plush toy attached to his shoulder.

"Hey guys!" Yuna waved at them as she spotted their approach.

"Ryohou! I thought you were back in Rozan." Souma was surprised to see the Dragon Saint.

"I am, but Genbu invited me a few days ago."

"Say, has anyone heard from Haruto lately?" Koga looked around, noticing that the Wolf Saint was not among them.

"Not really. Ever since he went back to Japan, he hasn't contacted any of us." Yuna replied with a shrug. "He'd probably dress-up as a ninja if he were here now." They shared a quick laugh over her comment.

"Yuna! Koga!" Raki ran out of the building to greet her friends. Right away she jumped on Koga's direction to give him a hug.

"I missed you!" She told him gleefully.

"Awww come on, you didn't miss me?" Yuna pouted.

"I see you all the time at the Palaestra, Yuna! But here." As she spoke, Raki teleported from Koga's arms into Yuna's. "You can have one too!"

"You look adorable as a fairy."

"Thanks! I wanted to use Stardust as fairy-dust, but Kiki-sama gave me glitter to use instead." Raki explained, then grabbed a handful of glitter and sprinkled it on Yuna's head.

"Speaking of which, where's Kiki?" Souma asked, looking around for the Aries Saint.

"He'll be right out, I think he was putting his costume on. He has been very secretive about it, for some reason. I've been asking him about it every day." Just then, Kiki emerged from the Aries house.

"Hi everyone."

"Kiki-sama!" Raki turned to face him enthusiastically, excited to see what his costume would be. However, upon seeing what he was wearing her face scrunched quizzically, not sure what to make of it. "What... what are you wearing?"

"I'll explain it on the way to the Taurus house." He turned to his other visitors. "So, I see everyone's arrived. Here's how it works: I'll escort you through the Aries house and onto the next one. You must all stick together, since we can't allow people to wander through the 12 houses without permission. The guardians of each inhabited house will have candy to hand out, and Athena will be waiting for us at the end. Any questions?" When everyone shook their heads, he continued. "Great. Let's go."

On the way to the Taurus house, Raki kept floating around Kiki, inspecting his attire and asking questions. Koga and the others couldn't help but notice how the way she kept flittering around Kiki combined with her costume made it seem like she was a real fairy.

"Whatup, party people!" Harbinger stepped out of the Taurus house to greet his guests. Wearing a long, charcoal pinstriped coat and matching pants, silk black shirt, red tie and a hat, he personified a gangster from the 20's.

"Harbinger!" Raki ran towards her second favorite Saint, giving him a hug. "You look so handsome!"

"Hey kiddo!" Harbinger picked her up easily to put her eye-level with him. "Happy Halloween!"

"Hello, Harbinger." Kiki greeted him, and for the first time the Taurus Saint actually noticed what his neighbor was wearing. His jaw hit the floor, his eyes went wide, and he nearly dropped Raki out of sheer bewilderment.

No... Oh no he didn't.

Of all things to dress up as, he had the gall to pick that.

Never in his wildest dreams, neither in his worst nightmares, Harbinger would have thought he'd see Kiki dressed as...

An American police officer.

"WHAT THE FU-"

"HARBINGER! Language!" Kiki quickly cut him off, pointing to Raki.

"What the fudge, Kiki! A popo? Really? Not cool, man. So not cool!" Harbinger was fuming. Kiki was well aware of his distaste for cops, and yet here he was, dressed like one. "There's even a fake NYPD badge. And aviators! Dude! What were you thinking?"

"Does it annoy you?" Kiki asked innocently.

"You bet your shiny Cloth that it annoys me!"

"Mission accomplished, then." The Aries Saint smirked smugly at a very irritated Taurus Saint. Harbinger gave him the stink-eye, but then sighed in defeat. Kiki had gotten him good, he had to admit.

"Whatever, dude. Who wants candy?" He addressed the other visitors, though in the back of his mind he was considering ways of getting back at Kiki.

Soon enough, they were out of the Taurus house and on the way to Libra. Raki excitedly skipped along the way, leaving a trail of glitter in her wake.

"Ya know..." Harbinger told Kiki in hushed tones when he was sure Raki was out of earshot. "If this Aries Saint gig doesn't work out, you should save the costume. I'm sure certain strip-clubs would be willing to hire you." Kiki side-eyed him, clearly not amused with the snide remark.

"I'll have you know that fixing your helmet just went to the bottom of my priority list." Harbinger smirked. A small price to pay, he thought to himself, the helmet cramped his style anyway.

They quickly traversed the unoccupied houses on the way to Virgo. The Gemini house was passed in record time, particularly due to Ryuho's insistence that they walk faster.

"Yo, Kiki." Harbinger started talking again.

"What now?"

"Easy there, popo, don't get your panties in a bunch. I was wondering... Do you have any idea what Fudo and Genbu's costumes are?"

"They didn't tell me anything." Kiki shrugged. Truth be told, he had trouble envisioning the Virgo and Libra Saints wearing a costume, but then again, a few days ago he wouldn't think he'd wear one himself.

"Man, I can't even imagine them loosening up enough to wear one. I bet they only took part in this shindig because Athena was on board with it."

"Have a little faith in them, Harbinger." Kiki replied with an eye-roll.

As they approached the Virgo house, Fudo was nowhere to be found.

"Where did pretty boy go? Don't tell me he bailed!" Harbinger whined.

Just then, a puff of white smoke appeared at the entrance and Fudo stood there as the fog dissipated. He wore a black tuxedo, black cape, white gloves, and a top hat. A magician's wand completed his ensemble, which exuded class and refinement, yet had a whimsical flair to it.

"Greetings, my friends." With a flourish of his hat and a bow, Fudo welcomed his visitors. Kiki looked at Harbinger smugly, as if saying 'I told you so'. A short "Hmph" was the only thing that Harbinger could reply with, though deep down he was impressed.

Fudo scanned the small crowd until his eyes fell on Raki. He walked over to her and knelt down, looking at her gravely.

"Wha... what's wrong?" Raki blinked at him in confusion. Did she do something wrong? Was he mad at her?

"There seems to be something behind your ear... Hold still." Fudo reached behind Raki with a sleight of hand, and then opened it in front of her to reveal a handful of candy. Raki squealed in delight and eagerly applauded Fudo's magic trick.

They found Genbu already waiting for them in front of the Libra house, wearing white robes and a lightsaber on his belt.

"A Jedi, eh? Never figured you for one of those people, Genbu."

"Funny, because I always figured you for a gangster, Harbinger."

"Harsh. You wound me with your words." Harbinger replied sarcastically.

As Genbu turned around to escort them through the building, everyone was a bit shocked, but even more amused with what they saw. Strapped to Genbu's back was a Yoda plush toy. However, said Yoda was wearing a Chinese hat and had a striking resemblance with Dohko.

Once they got to the Sagittarius house, it seemed to be missing its guardian.

"Half-pint! You in there?" Harbinger shouted out. As if on cue, a foam-tipped arrow zoomed from the sky and sent his hat tumbling to the ground. "What the...?"

They looked up to where the arrow had originated and saw Seiya standing on the roof. His costume of choice was Robin Hood. He was wearing black pants and boots, a short dark-green tunic and a dark cloak. A quiver of arrows was strapped to his back, a bow in his hand, and a toy sword was attached to his waist.

"Consider that payback for the hole in my house's ceiling." Seiya informed Harbinger as he leaped from the roof. Fudo and Genbu exchanged quizzical glances, wondering if they even wanted to know what that was all about.

As Seiya guided them through the Sagittarius house, something caught Raki's eye.

"What's that?" She tugged at Seiya's cloak and pointed.

"That? It's an archery target."

"Can I try it? Please?" She begged him, her eyes gleaming with excitement.

"Well..." Seiya glanced at Kiki, who just shrugged. "Sure. I don't have a practice bow your size, so you'll have to let me shoot it with you." He grabbed a bow and quiver of arrows from a rack and knelt down behind Raki. "Hold the bow like this. Then grab the bowstring with three fingers and pull." Seiya instructed her, but in reality he was doing most of the work. He told her to let go of the string, which sent the arrow flying to hit the target. Not dead-center, but at least it hit something.

"That is so cool! Kiki-sama did you see that?" Raki jumped up and down in glee.

"Very good, Raki. Well done." Kiki praised her amusedly, then gave Seiya a quick nod.

"Can I see you shoot one by yourself?"

"Alright, take a couple steps back." As Raki took her distance, Seiya grabbed another arrow , then he quickly aimed and shot, hitting the center.

"Wow..." Koga muttered in astonishment, and Seiya noticed it.

"Koga, would you like to try it?"

"Uh..." At Koga's reluctance, Seiya used his Cloth Stone and produced the Sagittarius bow and arrow.

"Here, why don't you try with these." Seiya handed the golden bow and arrow to Koga.

"Drop your shoulders a little bit. The bowstring should be pulled to the corner of your mouth." As Koga awkwardly worked on his stance and aim, Seiya leaned forward and whispered so only the Pegasus Saint could hear. "Focus your Cosmo. Aim and shoot as if Athena's life depended on it. One day, it just might."

Seiya's words triggered something in Koga, and he focused and shot the arrow. To everyone's surprise, it hit the dead center.

Koga looked at Seiya with a wide-eyed expression of disbelief, to which Seiya answered with a nod of his head while Koga's friends cheered.

"Alright, I guess we should get moving now. Athena is waiting for us." Seiya told the group and headed towards the exit.

After passing through the last three empty houses, they arrived at Athena's hall. No one was sure if they'd see her wearing a costume or wearing one of her usual dresses.

"Ahoy, mateys."

Everyone's faces were in mixed states of disbelief as Saori Kido stood in front of them, wearing dark pants, knee-length leather boots, a ruffled, long-sleeve white silk blouse, cinched at the waist with a wide belt, and a velvet burgundy coat. A dark silk bandana around her head and a toy sword on her waist perfectly accessorized the overall look.

Half of the people in the room couldn't believe what they were seeing.

Athena was dressed up as a pirate.

"Athena-sama! You look so cool!" Raki exclaimed, running over to the goddess to get a closer look.

"Thank you very much, Raki. I'm glad you like it." Saori smiled at the little girl, patting her head affectionately. Then, she surveyed the group gathered in front of her and couldn't help but discreetly chuckle at the myriad of different costumes they had chosen. "I'm glad everyone could make it." Her eyes fell meaningfully on Koga as she spoke. "Please, enjoy yourselves." She pointed to the side of the room, where there was a table laden with sweets: apple donuts, baklava, mochi, cookies, and candy-apples, though those were golden colored instead of the usual red.

"Whoa... Harbinger, come on!" Raki grabbed her taller friend's hand and led him to the table. Spurred by the little girl's eagerness, the other Saints started mingling about, and soon enough the room was filled with chatter and laughter.

At some point in the evening, Kiki found himself observing Harbinger talking animatedly with Souma, while Raki sat perched at the Taurus Saint's shoulder, interjecting here and there.

"Reminds me of you when you were that little." A soft voice pulled him from his reverie, and he found Saori standing next to him.

"Athena..."

"I remember how you loved chasing butterflies, playing pranks on the kids of the orphanage... And on Tatsumi too." Saori started reminiscing, and Kiki blushed slightly.

"Ah, good memories... How is he, by the way?"

"Quite alright last time I saw him, still practices his Kendo." Kiki chuckled, remembering how the old man had one time tried to take on the Sanctuary's soldiers relying on his Kendo skills.

They stood in silence, watching the group that Kiki had been focusing on. Raki seemed to have taken a sudden interest on Harbinger's hat and decided to wear it, placing her fairy tiara on his head instead. Souma found it suddenly difficult to keep a straight face, but Harbinger seemed unfazed.

"You know, at first I wondered if Harbinger would ever find the light that inspired him to keep fighting on the side of Peace and Justice. I think he's found it." Saori commented, her eyes trained on Kiki's little apprentice.

"Hmm. I'd say you're right, Athena."

"Raki is a good girl. She'll do great things one day if she chooses to follow the path to become a Saint. Or any other path she might decide on, for that matter. I believe she'll make you proud." Kiki took her words to heart as he watched the group.

"She already does." He replied, and Saori smiled knowingly at him.

Koga looked at Seiya as the Sagittarius Saint talked to Genbu. When the Libra Saint moved on to chat with Ryuho, Koga took the cue and walked closer.

"So... Seiya." Koga approached the Sagittarius Saint reluctantly.

"Yes, Koga?"

"About the Sagittarius bow... Are the stories true?"

"What stories?" Seiya asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"Of all the times you saved Saori-san's life using it."

"There were a few times while I was still the Pegasus Saint that the Sagittarius Cloth came to my aid. That bow is responsible for taking down many a god."

"Did you ever hesitate?"

"When we were fighting Lucifer, I did. He kept Athena in front of him, pretty much as a human shield. I didn't have a clear shot without having it go through her first." Seiya's gaze seemed distant as he recalled that battle and the fear he felt at that moment.

"What happened?"

"She told me to shoot anyway. That went against everything I ever lived for."

" Did you though?"

"I hesitated at first, but in the end it came down to trust. She trusted me to take the shot. And I trusted that, whatever happened, she had a plan." Seiya explained.

"And then?" Koga asked excitedly. He'd often heard the stories whispered around the Palaestra, but to hear it from the one who lived them was something else.

"The twelve zodiac constellations shone bright and blinded Lucifer. I shot the arrow, Saori dodged in the last second, and the it went straight through him, sending him right back to hell." He said triumphantly as Koga listened intently. Seiya didn't realize that he'd said 'Saori' instead of 'Athena', but his slip didn't go unnoticed by Koga.

While Seiya kept regaling the younger Saint with stories from past battles, they were oblivious to the pair of blue eyes watching them. Saori was thrilled to see her two favorite people bonding. Not for the first time, she wistfully wondered what it would have been like if Seiya had been around to help her raise Koga.

"You've raised a good kid, Athena." Kiki told her.

"Thank you, Kiki." Saori replied with a kind smile.

"You're really proud of him, aren't you?"

"Very much so." Saori retorted without hesitating. As she kept watching them, her gaze focused on Seiya. She had to admit that Robin Hood was not something she would have imagined for him, but she decided that she liked it. A lot. His costume wasn't the cartoonish version with the silly-looking hat, rather it had a more rugged feel to it. In her opinion, he looked particularly attractive wearing it. Her mind started drifting to thoughts of shedding the costume from him piece-by-piece, but she quickly put a halt to it. However, it wasn't quick enough for Kiki not to notice her drifting gaze.

"Sometimes it's hard to believe that Seiya is back." He commented innocently.

"Isn't it? It's quite amazing." Saori replied a bit flustered.

"Did it ever occur to you? Out of everyone living in the Sanctuary now, you and Seiya are the ones I've known for the longest." Kiki pointed out.

"Yes, come to think of it, you're right..."

"You've been through a lot together, the two of you. I'm glad to see Seiya back where he belongs." He said cryptically, and Saori stared at him. Did he know...?

"Kiki..." She was at a loss of what to say, but he just grinned and walked away. For some reason, Saori could have sworn this was the grin of a young Kiki from years before.

"Kiki-sama!" Raki waved as Kiki got nearer.

"Are you having fun, Raki?" Kiki asked, and his apprentice nodded enthusiastically. "It was Harbinger's idea." At his reveal, Raki gasped in surprise looking at her taller friend.

"Eh, what can I say. This place needed some livening up." Harbinger shrugged nonchalantly.

"This was so much fun! It was the best idea ever!" She squealed gleefully, sprinkling a handful of 'fairy-dust' on his head and laughing. Harbinger laughed along with Raki. There was a time when he had thought that there could be no sweeter sound than those of bones breaking under his powerful hands. He had been wrong. For now he knew, the sweetest sound was the laughter of the little girl in front of him.

In a corner of the room, Fudo stood drinking a glass of apple cider and observing the interaction between those two very different people. He remembered how disenchanted he had been with the state of humanity when he had sworn allegiance to Mars. However, seeing a brute man who had in the past murdered countless Saints, now being so kind and gentle with Kiki's apprentice gave him a flicker of hope. Maybe people could be transformed for the better after all.

Somewhere across the room, Saori approached Koga.

"Are you enjoying yourself, Koga?"

"Ah, Saori-san. Yes, tonight was a lot of fun. It's nice, you know... To be around these people without worrying about a battle. And to see you, as well." Koga replied enthusiastically, happy to get some time to talk to her.

"You seemed to be having a lively conversation with Seiya a while ago."

"Yeah... He was telling me stories about the Sagittarius bow. Did you know that he let me try shooting with it when we were at his temple?"

"Oh? I didn't know that... How did it go?"

"I hit the bullseye on the first try!" He declared excitedly.

"I'm impressed, Koga." Saori smiled proudly at him.

"Thank you for inviting me, it was more fun than I expected."

"Of course. I am glad you decided to come." After a brief pause, she went on. "The island is your home, but so is the Sanctuary. You are always welcome here, Koga, I hope you know that."

"I know. Thank you, Saori-san."

"Speaking of the island, how are things there?" She asked, and he went on to tell her about his daily life at the island.

At some point in the evening, Ryuho and Yuna asked Fudo he if knew any magic tricks, given his costume. Everyone was distractedly gathered around the Virgo Saint, when Seiya approached Saori.

"So... a pirate, huh?" He spoke quietly, so to not take the room's attention away from Fudo.

"Well, I did live in an island for a long time. It seemed appropriate. Besides, any costume that involved a dress seemed far too predictable."

"Should you ever grow weary of your life of plundering in the high-seas, my band of outlaws could always use someone with your skills." Then he muttered under his breath so only she could hear him. "And I'd be delighted if you'd be my Maid Marian." She gasped inaudibly and stared at him questioningly for a moment, to which he gave a smug smile in return, then squeezed her hand from underneath his cloak.

It was nearly midnight when the group departed Athena's residence and started trekking back through the 12 houses. By the time they reached Sagittarius, Raki was fast asleep in Harbinger's arms. Seiya walked the group to the house's entrance, then bid them farewell.

"Seiya, wait." Koga ran up to Seiya, extending his hand to him. "Thanks."

"Anytime, Koga." Seiya gave him a rare smile, shaking his hand firmly. He watched as everyone walked down the stairs on the way to Genbu's temple. When they were out of sight, he turned around and walked towards the back entrance.

They said goodbye to Genbu at the Libra house.

"May the force be with you!" Harbinger said with a snigger as they were walking away.

At the Virgo house, Raki woke up and groggily mumbled, but then just rested her head on Harbinger's other shoulder and went back to sleep. The scene elicited a slight smile from Fudo.

Once they got to Taurus, Harbinger passed Raki's sleeping form to Kiki and said goodbye to his guests.

"Well ladies and gents, it's been real. Now, don't let the door hit ya where the good Lord split ya on the way out." Everyone rolled their eyes as they started heading to the first house.

"Wait!" Raki's head shot up, wide awake, and she walked over to Harbinger and gave him one last hug.

"Goodnight, Harbinger." Harbinger melted a little bit more inside at Raki's gesture.

"Goodnite, kiddo." He gave her a quick peck on the forehead. Kiki carried Raki the rest of the way to the Aries house, though she managed to remain awake.

"Raki, why don't you go get ready for bed." Kiki suggested when he put her down. Raki nodded her head sleepily and said goodnight to the Bronze Saints. Then she shuffled towards her room, yawning as she went. Koga, Yuna, Ryuho and Souma waved goodbye and walked back to the Palaestra.

Kiki entered his house and turned towards Raki's room, where he found his apprentice already tucked in and fast asleep. Kneeling by her bedside, he gave her head a light stroke and walked back to the door. Before closing it, he looked back at the sleeping girl one last time, and couldn't help but smile. His mind drifted back to when he was her age and the many twists and turns his life, and the lives of these he knew, had taken since then. He wondered what Raki's future held in store for her. He couldn't possibly know. All he could do was raise her, teach and train her well. Like Mu-sama had done for him. 'Your legacy will carry on, Mu-sama. I promise.'

"Sleep well, Raki." Kiki told the sleeping girl as he closed the door. As he made his way to his room, he curled his lips in an amused smirk and said to no one in particular. "Happy Halloween..." Just then, a gust of wind blew through the window, knocking down a bag of leftover candy that was sitting on a nearby table and causing its contents to spill on the floor in front of Kiki. When Kiki knelt down to pick it up, he noticed that the wind had also knocked over a picture-frame of him and Mu.

"Mu-sama!" Kiki gasped, staring out the window where the gust had come from.

* * *

**Author's Note 2:** The main story is complete. However, in a few hours I'll be adding an epilogue chapter. That chapter will be very Seiya/Saori centric, so if that's not your cup of tea, you can stop here.

Also, since it's Halloween and if you feel like leaving me a treat, reviews are always appreciated.

**Happy Halloween, everyone!**


	3. Epilogue

**Disclaimer:** Saint Seiya and its characters belong to Masami Kurumada and Toei Animation.

**Author's Note:** This chapter exists because no Saint Seiya fanfic written by me should go on without some SeiSao action. This chapter doesn't add anything to the main plot, and if you don't ship Seiya & Saori, I suggest you stop here.

* * *

**A Sanctuary Halloween**

**Epilogue:**

**November 1, 12:34am**

Outside Athena's residence, a lone pirate stood looking out to sea, contemplating the events of the past hours. It had been an atypical evening for certain, but in a pleasant way. Moments of levity spent together with her Saints were few and far between. In fact, over the last 13 years they were non-existent. Now, however, she felt that more of these events as a group would be more than welcome. At least until peace endured, however brief that may be.

Her silk shirt flittered with the wind. She'd left her velvet coat back inside, choosing to feel the chill of the night breeze tease her skin instead. She looked down at her attire, laughter bubbling in her throat at the sight of it.

Closing her eyes and breathing in the night air, she allowed herself the luxury of letting her imagination roam free. What would it be like, to live in an era where pirates reigned the waters? To captain a rogue ship as it sailed into the unknown in search of unfathomable treasures, to take part in epic sword fights, to feel the rough winds on her face and let the stars guide her... Well, that last part wasn't much different, since her destiny had been guided by the stars since birth.

Saori's lips curled into a smile when she sensed a warm Cosmo approach, interrupting her moment of introspection. She turned around and spotted Seiya's cloaked figure emerging from the path that led to the 12 houses. He had ditched the bow and quiver since she'd last seen him, but the rest of his outfit remained the same, much to her delight. The mental image of shedding each piece of his outfit that she'd conjured hours ago suddenly returned to her in full force. Illuminated by the Moon, wind sweeping his unruly hair, he walked towards her with a carefree smile and she tried not to swoon.

"So, milady, have you given any thought to my proposition? Would you come away with me to Sherwood Forest and fight for justice on the other side of the law?" He asked her with uncharacteristic gallantry, and she chuckled in amusement.

"Since when do you know so much about Robin Hood?"

"Let's just say that Marin had a taste for the classics. Whenever I complained of boredom, she'd throw one of those for me to read." He explained with a dismissive shrug. "You haven't answered my question though."

"Hmm, I'm not sure. I might as well make you join my pirate crew instead." She retorted with a teasing grin.

"And if I refuse?" He challenged flippantly.

"My blade can be very convincing." She smirked, her hands gliding along the scabbard at her waist menacingly, or as menacing as one could be when wielding a fake weapon.

"I guess there's only one way to settle this." Seiya replied as his hand hovered threateningly over the hilt of his toy sword.

They drew their toy swords from their sheaths and the duel commenced. Plastic clashed against plastic as they thrust and parried, stepping in and out of range of the opponent's blade. It was lighthearted, it was fun, and yet they threw themselves into the moment with passion. While Seiya had the physical advantage for quicker and more powerful thrusts, Saori had fencing experience and knew how to handle swords with better dexterity. She absorbed and deflected his blows, biding her time and unleashing flutters of quick thrusts and slashes when an opening emerged.

Seiya gradually retreated towards a wall. When he was close enough to it, he waited for Saori to lunge, then sidestepped and attacked. She turned around with just enough time to parry, but now she was backed against the wall with his sword dangerously close.

"No escape." Seiya taunted triumphantly.

"I guess I have to surrender, huh?" Saori commented seemingly defeated. Without warning, she grabbed the collar of Seiya's tunic and pulled him in for a kiss. Seiya was taken by surprise at her sudden course of action, but as soon as her tongue slid along his lips demanding entrance, their little game was all but forgotten to him. He moaned into the kiss while his hands latched onto her hips, the toy sword he'd been holding hitting the floor with a loud clatter.

That was the cue Saori had been waiting for. As soon as they parted for air, she wiggled out of his grasp and pointed her sword at him, grinning smugly.

"That has to be cheating." A still breathless Seiya grumbled, not really pleased at having the tables turned on him so easily. He had no complaints about her methods, much less her technique though.

"Pirates weren't known for being honorable, law-abiding people." Saori informed him glibly, relishing her victory.

The night breeze picked up, sweeping Saori's hair to her face. Seiya used the distraction to sneak one arm around Saori and mash her body against his while avoiding the plastic sword.

"Turnabout is fair play." He said huskily before devouring her lips. Helpless under his passionate embrace, Saori threw the sword out of reach and wrapped her arms around his back. They kissed with a fury, letting their lips and teeth and tongues continue the duel. Both could agree that this was a much better way of resolving their dispute than fighting with toy swords. Seiya pinned her against the wall once again and enveloped their bodies with his cloak, enshrouding their encounter in secrecy. There was something about the clandestinity of the situation, out in plain sight and yet hidden, that made it even more exhilarating. She wrapped one leg around his hips, pressing him closer to her heat and his hands explored underneath her shirt.

They were panting and gasping but their kisses were unrelenting, lips unable to stay apart for long. Saori reached behind his tight pants and squeezed his toned flesh, asking with her hands what her voice was unable to say at the moment. Seiya groaned roughly and latched his lips to her neck in ravenous desperation. Her heavy breathing mingled with the sound of the night breeze spurred him on. He trailed one hand towards her hip, clutching it rhythmically while the other hand kept on its quest of discovering the treasures she kept hidden under her shirt.

Saori cradled Seiya's head in her hands and guided him towards her lips, kissing him fervently to avoid moaning out-loud into the night. She only let go when the need for air burned in her lungs.

"I... I suppose we could call it a tie." She proposed meekly while still holding on to him, not trusting her legs to support her.

"Fair enough. Or..." Seiya picked her up in his arms and walked towards the twelve houses. "We could decide this duel in a different way." He proposed with a wicked grin and Saori shivered in anticipation for what was to come.

"Your place?" Saori deduced as she let herself be carried away. Having the last three houses between her and Sagittarius sitting vacant meant easier access to the ninth house and the Saint dwelling in it. She certainly had no complaints about that, much as she wished to find guardians for those empty houses.

"Yep. It's been missing you so very much. Oh, and don't mind the hole in the ceiling. It's a long story."

"Hmm... You can tell me all about it in the morning."


End file.
